The Islamic State’s official news agency claimed responsibility for the vehicular terrorist attack in Barcelona Thursday, Rita Katz of SITE Intelligence group reports.
1) BREAKING: As expected, #ISIS‘ Amaq claims #Barcelona attackers “soldiers of the Islamic State”https://t.co/XWmU2SeJhU https://t.co/ETlzqSZMTU
— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) August 17, 2017
MORE: Catalan police say, in reaction to reports, there is nobody held up in a bar in Barcelona https://t.co/iAtYDBawlk pic.twitter.com/bvANYQvYwF
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) August 17, 2017
Amaq described the terrorists responsible as “soldiers of the Islamic State,” a term it commonly uses when claiming Western terrorist attacks.
Spanish authorities have a suspect in custody and confirmed 12 civilians were killed in the attack along with 80 injured. The van plowed at a high rate of speed through a crowded tourist area in Barcelona. The attack is the deadliest in the country’s history since the Madrid subway bombings in 2004.
Video posted by #Barcelona suspect on May 17 peddles anti-semitic conspiracy theories about Jewish occupied government/media pic.twitter.com/U9oQRehtDi
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) August 17, 2017
Authorities confirmed to Spanish media that Spanish national Driss Oukabir rented the van used in the attack. Oukabir appears to have posted anti-semitic youtube videos on his Facebook page in the past.
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